Bowling pin squaring device



Feb. 23, 1965 v. UNTERBRINK ETAL 3,170,271

BOWLING PIN SQUARING DEVICE Filed July 2, 1962 w" W a 27 z '9 F51 rf' INVENTORS VICTOR UNTERBRINK ARRY UNTERBR/NK United States Patent Filed July 2, 1962, Ser. No. 206,696 4 Claims. (Cl. 51-125) The present invention relates to improvements in bowling pin holding apparatus adapted for use when sanding or grinding olf the bottom of a worn bowling pin to square same.

Bowling pins tend to chip and become unevenly worn on their bottom ends and as a result it is frequently diflicult if not impossible [to stand them up ona bowling lane. In order to avoid rejection of the pin, the worn pin is ground or sanded on its bottom face to an amount necessary to remove the defects therein. Such grinding or sanding is permissible within certain limits under rules laid down by the American Bowling Congress and is usually in an amount not exceeding of an inch which is within the allowable limits. Heretofore', pins requiring grinding or sanding have manually been held and advanced against a sander or grinder and as a result the newly ground bottom face is not always normal to the longitudinal axis of the bowling pin. The apparatus of the present invention affords positive mechanical means to hold a bowling pin firmly and in a precise position during a sanding or grinding operation so as to eliminate all guesswork or visual alignment of the bowling pin with the sanding or grinding surface. The apparatus of the present invention is further characterized by being adapted to permit the insertion and removal of a bowling pin quickly and is so constructed that the amount of the pin exposed to the grinding or sanding disc is within the allowable tolerance aforesaid.

It is, therefore, an object of the invention to'provide a novel apparatus for holding a bowling pin during the sanding or grinding of its bottom face.

Another object is to provide a novel two-piece holder for a bowling pin.

Another object is to provide a device of the character referred to which is not expensive to manufacture, is

eflicient and accurate in use, and easy to use.

The structure, by means of which the above noted and other advantages and objects of the invention are attained, will be described in the following specification, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings showing a preferred illustrative embodiment of the invention, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the apparatus of the invention, showing a bowling pin mounted therein and illustrating the associated appliances used during a sand-.

ing or grinding operation; and 7 FIG. 2 is an enlarged, exploded perspective view of the holder, showing a bowling pin in its related position.

Referring .to the exemplary disclosure of the invention shown in the acompanying drawings, the device comprises a hollow holder 11 consisting of a pair of substantially similar halves 12, 13 each having a bottom wall 14, side walls 15 and connecting end walls 16 and 17. V For purposes of description the end wall 16is referred to herein as a front wall whereas the wall 17 is referred to herein as a rear wall. I

The halves 12, 13 are designed tobe fitted together with the free edges of their side and end walls in abutment to provide the hollow box-like holder 11 for supporting a bowling pin 18 in position to have its bottom end 19 sanded or ground. Preferably one of the halves, such as half 12, has depending dowel pins 21 that fit into apertures 22 in side lugs 23 on the other half to insure 3,170,271 Patented Feb. 23,1965

ice

therein a predetermined portion of the head end 25 of the bowling pin 18. The other or front walls 16 of each half also have matching semi-circular recesses 26 defin ing a circular opening that is in axial alignment with the circular hole in the rear wall. The front wall opening is of a diameter to receive a predetermined portion of the base end 27 of the bowling pin seated therein. Because bowling pins have like-diameters at the same location along their lengths, when a pin is seated in the holes formed by matched recesses 24 and 26 and thrust against the rear walls 17 of the holder, a predetermined maxi mum amount of the bottom end of the pin extends beyond the outside face of the front wall thereof. The hole in the rear wall acts primarily to limit or position the amount of insertion of the bowling pin Whereas the front wall opening functions to hold the pin firmly during the grinding or sanding operation now to be described.

In use, the holder 11 is seated, in the manner shown in FIG. 1, on a flat support surface 28 and then pushed forward to carry the projecting base end 27 of the bowling pin into engagement with a grinding or sanding disc 29 which may be driven by electric motor 31 or otherwise. The axis of the sander or grinder disc preferably is in alignment with the axis of the bowling pin and the grinding or sanding surface of said disc is normal to said axis so that the new surface ground thereby is always normal to the axis of the bowling pin. The sand.- ing or grinding can be terminated as soon as the unevenness or chipped area is removed, but in no event can it continue beyond the amount of the bowling pin exposed for grinding.

Although an exemplary embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described in detail hereinabove, it is to be understood that the invention is capable of being embodied in a plurality of modifications and that it is not desired to limit the invention to the precise disclosure but to restrict same only to the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Apparatus including a support surface for squaring the bottom end of a bowling pin, said apparatus comprising a hollow substantially rectangular box of a length less than the length of a bowling'pin and having axially aligned pin receiving openings in its ends and a bottom wall parallel to the opening axes adapted to slide along the support surface, and a grinding disc fixed above said support surface with its axis in alignment with and parallel to the opening axes.

2. Apparatus including a support surface for squaring the bottom end of a bowling pin, said apparatus comprising a' hollow substantiallyrectangular box having axially aligned bowling pin receiving openings in its end walls and a bottom wall parallel to the'opening axes adapted to slide along the support surface, and a grinding disc fixed above said support surface with its axis in alignment with and parallel to the opening axes.

3. Apparatus including a support surface for squaring the bottom end of a bowling pin comprising a hollow substantially rectangular box having spaced end walls, an axially aligned pin receiving opening in each end wall each adapted to receive one end portion of a bowling pin for supporting said pin in a predetermined position with its bottom end. projecting beyond the related axes and adapted to be seated on the support surface, and

3 a a grinding disc arranged above said support surface with surface with its grinding surface normal to the axes of its grinding surface normal to the axes of said openings. said openings.

4. Apparatus for squaring the bottom end of a bowl- References Cited by the Examiner ing pin comprising a hollow substantially rectangular box UNITED STATES TENTS having spaced end walls and axially aligned pin receiving 5 p gs in aid W l s, said Openings being adapted to 2221 2? li l n grt nl "266263;?5 e 've d T b 1'0? dt ayea i 1' C61 an SUPpOl a OW 111 pin in a PIC e 611111116 Partridge position with lts bottom end pro ectlng outwardly of the 2,457,509 12/48 vacanti et a1 51-125 related wall, said box having a bottom Wall parallel to 10 the opening taxes and adapted to be seated on a support LESTER SWINGLE Exammersurface, and a grinding disc arranged above said support, JOHN C. CHRISTIE, Examiner. 

1. APPARATUS INCLUDING A SUPPORT SURFACE FOR SQUARING THE BOTTOM END OF A BOWLING PIN, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING A HOLLOW SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR BOX OF A LENGTH LESS THAN THE LENGTH OF A BOWLING PIN AND HAVING AXIALLY ALIGNED PIN RECEIVING OPENINGS IN ITS ENDS AND A BOTTOM WALL PARALLEL TO THE OPENING AXES ADAPTED TO SLIDE ALONG THE SUPPORT SURFACE, AND A GRINDING DISC FIXED ABOVE SAID SUPPORT SURFACE WITH ITS AXIS IN ALIGNMENT WITH AND PARALLEL TO THE OPENING AXES. 